Civil legal aid attorneys benefit professionally, personally
When Dave* lost his wife to cancer, he was left to take care of their two sons. His oldest son is autistic, non-verbal, and has a lifelong intellectual disability. Dave works long hours as a dishwasher to support his family and assists his son with everyday tasks like brushing his teeth. When his son turned 18, Dave needed help to make sure he could continue to care for his son, who is dependent on him. So, he reached out to Legal Aid of Manasota for help being appointed as his son’s Guardian Advocate.
Every day, legal aid organizations provide free civil legal services to people in need. The attorneys employed at legal aid organizations represent people like Dave and anyone who needs legal assistance they cannot afford.
Working as a public interest lawyer has many professional and personal benefits. Civil legal aid attorneys in Florida are eligible to apply for FFLA’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to pay down their student debt. The American Bar Association (ABA) also offers reduced membership rates for public interest lawyers.
With recent increases in Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA) funding in Florida, more legal aid attorneys can be supported than ever before. Legal aid organizations offer salaries competitive with traditional law firms due to the increased IOTA funding. The job also offers flexibility as many providers have hybrid work models.
Public interest law provides a unique opportunity to connect attorneys directly to their communities through service. This allows attorneys to grow their professional and community networks simultaneously. The wide variety of matters legal aid organizations take on extends this networking reach even farther.
Just a few areas of law that civil aid attorneys work in are:
- Consumer law
- Divorce
- Domestic violence
- Family law
- Health
- Immigration
- Landlord/tenant
- Public benefits
Getting involved in public interest law can start during law school. Many universities offer civil legal aid clinics that are open to students. Participation offers valuable legal experience and greatly benefits the community.
Upon graduation, Florida young lawyers don’t have to look far to continue a career in public interest law. Regional locations of Florida legal aid programs funded by FFLA include:
Panhandle
North Florida
Central Florida
- Brevard County Legal Aid
- Community Legal Services
- Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association
- Seminole County Bar Association Legal Aid Society
- Florida Rural Legal Services
- Heart of Florida Legal Aid Society
West Florida
- Bay Area Legal Services
- Community Law Program
- Crossroads for Florida Kids
- Gulfcoast Legal Services
- Legal Aid of Manasota
- Michael’s Legal Center
- Lee County Legal Aid
- Legal Aid Service of Collier County
South Florida
- Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
- Catholic Legal Services
- Coast to Coast Legal Aid South Florida
- Legal Aid Service of Broward County
- Community Justice Project
- CABA Pro Bono
- Dade Legal Aid
- Legal Services of Greater Miami
Statewide
- Americans for Immigrant Justice
- Florida Health Justice Project
- Florida Justice Institute
- Florida Legal Services
- Florida’s Children First
- IDignity
- Innocence Project of Florida
- Lawyers for Children America
- Southern Legal Counsel
With such a wide variety of legal aid organizations and benefits like competitive salaries and increased access to legal opportunities, now is a great time to explore legal aid careers. Find current job openings here.
*Name changed to protect identity
